Perdue makes statement on USDA aid to Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today pledged all resources and flexibilities at USDA’s disposal as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands recover from the devastation of recent hurricanes.

“Agriculture producers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands deserve the same resources under the USDA Farm Service Agency disaster programs as farmers, ranchers, and foresters in the states,” Perdue said.

“This includes compensation for livestock death and feed losses, risk coverage for specialty crops, and repair of damage to agricultural and private forest land. To this point, FEMA [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] has been the lead agency for emergency search and rescue operations, but USDA is involved in providing food to storm victims and is ready to assess agricultural damage and assist producers when conditions on the islands allow.”